







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| No, it's not okay, I'm screwed now! | |
| But that's true, some Chows are a bit aggressive. | |
| Do you mean Rebecca and Cecilia? | |
| I am planning to sleep in a bit since it's a holiday. | |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | |
| How are you? | |
| Hi girls, this is Mike. | |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | |
| How old are you? | |
| How dare he... He is so stupid!!! | |
| Hope to see you later. | |
| Then you can decide if I'm a good cook or not! | |
| Huh, it's quite good money! | |
| There are some vending machines in the station. | |
| No, she is a uni student in Russia. | |
| I don't like smoking in the kitchen. | |
| Hello, my name is Mike, I'm Cate's boyfriend... | |
| There is no direct flight from London to Perth. | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| Oh sorry, unfortunately, that one is reserved. | |